Month: July 2013
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Diamond Sutra – Buddha beyond form and no-form – 金刚经 – 凡所有相,皆是虚妄。若见诸相非相,则见如来。
Last week, we learnt that Buddha awareness is beyond all form and appearance. How then, can one perceive the Buddha, or its awareness? The Buddha described: the perception of all form (including no-form) is unreal, when we see through all form (including no-form) as transitory and unreal, then we see the real Buddha. This is…
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Diamond Sutra – Buddha beyond form and appearance – 金刚经 – 不可以身相得见如来
Can the Buddha be seen? Can enlightened beings been recognized by certain appearance or form? Although there are certain descriptions of how Buddha or Bodhisattva may look, ultimately the reality and awareness of the Buddha, like the nature of the Tao depicted in Daodejing, are beyond form and descriptions. Therefore, real Buddha is beyond form…
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Diamond Sutra – how does Bodhisattva do charity? – 金刚经 – 菩萨如何布施?
Last week we learn that Bodhisattva does not cling to the notion of self, others, beings, and immortality. This week we learn that Bodhisattva not only transcends the above 4, but also continue to serve through charity. In Buddhism continuous service and virtue are essential to complete the process of cultivation and enlightenment, even for…
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Diamond Sutra – self, others, beings, immortals – 金刚经 – 我相,人相,众生相,寿者相
In this Chapter, Buddha described the essential nature of Bodhisattva (enlightened beings that serves in this world): transcendence of the notion of: self, others, beings, and immortals. self: a separate sense of individual self others: what appears outside of one’s self beings: the collective living beings immortals: any part of life, form or no-form, that…
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Diamond Sutra – The direct transmission of Mind – 金刚经 – 如是住,如是降伏其心
In the Zen/Chan Buddhist tradition, there is an emphasis on cultivating and transmitting of Mind beyond forms. In the actual happening of such incidences, the knowledge/experience/realization of the teacher is transmitted directly to the student without the aid of words. Such was the attempt of the Buddha when asked by his prominent disciple Subhuti in…